Meat-slitting machine



My 24, 1938. J. P. SPANG I MEAT SLITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 h lFrgvsen Tor.

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P 11115, ATTys mN/ ON 3 2-1 1 X1 HM J. P. SPANG I MEAT SLITTING MACHINE May 24, 1938.

Filed Nov. 5, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 InvenTor. Uoseph PSpcn Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for slitting meat and particularly to a machine of that type having a set of rotary slitting knives rotatable about a fixed axis and a meat-supporting table movable back and forth beneath the knives and which supports the meat to be slit.

One object of my present invention is to provicle an improved meat-slitting machine of this type having a prime mover such, for instance, as a motor or a gear-driven pulley or gear, for moving the meat-supporting table back and forth beneath the slitting knives.

Another object of the invention is to provide meat-slitting machine of this type in which the knives are rotated by the prime mover and means are provided for automatically reversing the direction of rotation of the knives simulaneously with the reversal of the direction of movement of the meat-supporting table.

Another object of the invention is to provide machine of this type in which the reversal of the direction of movement of the meat-supporting table is accomplished by the movement thereof so that the movement of the table as it approaches each end of its stroke causes a reversal in the direction of the movement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide improvements by which the reversal of the direction of rotation of the knives is accomplished automatically by the movement of the meatsupporting table.

Other objects of the invention are to provide various other improvements in meat-slitting machines which will be hereinafter set' forth.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the meat-slitting machine embodying the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary details of the reversing mechanism by which the direction of movement of the meat-supporting table is reversed.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through the rack and pinion by which the meat-supporting table is given its reciprocating movement, said view being taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view of the means for turning the meat-supporting table.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View on the line l'!, Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the machine.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of switches for the motor when the prime mover is in the form of an electric motor.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective View of the meat-supporting table.

In the machine herein illustrated the slitting knives, which are rotary knives, are indicated at i. There are a plurality of these knives fast on a supporting shaft 2 which is journalled in a suitable frame 3.

The meat to be slit is indicated at 4 and it is carried by a meat-supporting table 5 that is moved forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, thereby to cut the slits in the meat.

This table 5 is mounted and supported by a slide 19 which moves back and forth in suitable ways 2! formed in the portion 22 of the frame. The slide I9 is formed on its under face with rack feet 20 which mesh with a pinion I fast on a shaft 9 journalled in the frame 3.

Power-driven means are provided for rotating the shaft 9 first in one direction and then in the other in order to give the table its forward and backward movement. This driving means comprises an electric'motor 6 which is suitably supported on the base of the frame 3 and driving connections, including reversing mechanism, between the motor 6 and the shaft 9.

The gear not only meshes with the rack teeth of the slide H], but also meshes with another gear I I mounted on a shaft 12 which is also suitably journalled in the frame. The gear 1! is adapted to be meshed with either one of two gears l3 or M which are driven from the motor 6 but which are rotated in opposite directions. The gear l4 meshes with a gear E5 on the motor-driven shaft l6 and the gear 13 meshes with an interme diate gear ll which in turn meshes with the gear i5 on said shaft !6. The gears it, it and i! journalled in a rocking frame l8 which is mounted for turning movement on the shaft 16, the rocking movement of the frame providing for bringing either gear l3 or 14 into mesh with the gear H. When the rocking frame is in the dotted line position a, Fig. 1, the gear l3 will be meshing with the gear II and the gear 14 will be out of mesh with said gear I I. When the rocking frame is turned counter-clockwise into the dotted line position b then the gear !3 is carried out of mesh with the gear II and the gear 14 is brought into mesh with the gear I I. Assuming that the shaft !6 is rotating counter-clockwise, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, then when the gear i3 is in mesh with the gear H the knives I will be rotating clockwise, while, when the gear M is in mesh with the gear I! and the gear I3 is out of mesh the knives will be rotating counter-clockwise. Any suitable reducing gearing (notshown) may be used between the motor and the shaft I6 in order to give the said shaft the proper speed for producing the desired movement of the knives.

The knives I are driven by and rotated from the driving connections between the prime mover I9 is provided with two depending projections 24,

25 which are situated to engage the upper end of the arm 23 during the movement of the slide.

In Fig. 1 the slide is shown at the right-hand end of its movement and is moving toward the left. The frame I8 at this time is in the dotted line position indicated at a with the gear I3 in mesh with the gear II and the gear I l out of mesh with said gear I I. The pinion I is, therefore, rotating counter-clockwise and the slide I9 will bemoving toward the left thereby to move the table beneath the knives from the right to the left. After the table 5 has been carried beneath the knives I to a position at the left thereof as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1, the projection 24will engage the upper end of the arm 23 and swing the frame I8 from the dotted line position a to the dotted line position b or into the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby reversing the direction of rotation of the pinion I0'which'willcause a reversal of the direction of movement of the slide I9 and the meat-supporting table 5 so that the slide will start movement in the direction of the arrow'd in Fig. 3. This will move the table with the meat thereon from the dotted line position toward the full line position Fig. 1 and during the movement of the slide toward the right the projection 25 will engage the arm 25, as shown in .Fig. 2; and swing the frame from the dotted line position b to the dotted line position a, or from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, thereby reversing the direction of rotation of the pinion and of the slide I9 and starting the slide in the direction of the arrow 0, Fig. 2.

It will be noted that the rotation of the shaft 9 not only gives rotation to the knives I but also.

moves the slide back and forth and hence the reversing mechanism above-described by which the direction of rotation of the shaft 9 is reversed serves to reverse both the direction'of travel of the slide I9 and the'direction of rotation of the knives. It'will also be observed that this reversal of the direction of movement of the table 5 and of the direction of rotation of the knives is accomplished by the movement of the table. The,

stopped position of the table'is shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 5 and at each operation of the machine the table is moved from its left-hand position shown in dotted lines to the right-hand position shown in full lines and then back again to the initial position.

The table 5 is in the nature of a turntable and means are provided for giving said table a 90 turning movement at the right-hand end of its movement so that when the'meat is carried backwardly from the right-hand position shown in full lines Fig. 1 to the left-hand position shown in dotted lines the slits which are cut in the meat will be at right angles to those which were cut when the meat traveled from the dotted line position tothe full line position. The portion 22 is formed with the lower part 50 and the upper part 5| which are spaced from each. other but The'slide I9 is shown as having a post 25 rising therefrom and projecting into the slot 52, and the table 5 is provided with a sleeve 2! which fits over and rotates on the post. This sleeve 21 extends through the slot 52 and has a ratchet wheel 28 fast thereto which is situated between the parts 50 and 5| of the portion 22 of the frame and which cooperates with a spring-pressed pawl 29 pivoted at 39to the frame and acted on by a spring 3|. ment of the slide I9 toward the right the ratchet wheel engages the pawl 29; as shown in Fig. 6,

thereby turning the ratchet wheel and the table 5 through a 90 turning movement. When the movement of the slide is reversed and the rachet 'wheel moves backwardly it will simply wipe by the spring-pressed pawl without giving any turning movement to the table 5.

The table 5 will thus be given a 90 turning movement at the end of each movement toward the right.

The machine herein shown is intended for cutting slits clearthrough a slice of meat and for this purpose the table 5 is provided in its upper surface with a plurality of grooves'32 extending in one direction and a second set of grooves 33 extending at right angles to the grooves 32. The knives I are of such a diameter that they enter the grooves as the table 5 is passing thereunder so that the knives will cut clear through the meat. When the slice of meat has been moved underneath the knives in one direction said slice will be cut into strips, and when the turntable is given a 90 turn and is returned to its initial position the strips will be cut into small sections. It is proposed to place these knivesrelatively close together andthe result is that the slice of meat will be cut into small cubes.

Provision is made for stopping the motor after the table has made one complete excursion from the dotted line position, Fig. 1, to the full line position and back to the dotted line position again. One way of accomplishing it is illustrated in Fig. 9 wherein the circuit for the motor 5, which is indicated at 34, is provided with a switch blade 35 connected to one side of the circuit and adapted to close onto a contact 35 connected to the other side of the circuit. The switch is normally held closed by a spring 37. As

the slide I9 approaches the dotted line'position During the final portion of the move-- of meat from the table 5 and will place an unslit piece of meat thereon. For starting the motor a manually-operated switch 3.9 is provided by which the motor circuit may be closed through the branch circuit 40. As soon as the motor circuit is closed by the manually-operated switch 39 the slide I9 will complete its movement to the left thereby to bring the projection 24 into engagement with the arm 23 and cause a reversal of 'movement of the slide I9, and as the slide I9 begins it return movement toward the right the contact 36 and thereby close the motor circuit at this point. It will be necessary, of course, for the operator to maintain the manually-operated switch 39 closed until the motor circuit is closed by the switch blade 35 and as soon as this occurs then the operator will release the switch 39 and allow it to swing into an open position under the influence of a suitable spring 4|. When the switch 35 is closed it rests against a suitable stop 42. The manually-operated switch 39 may be of any appropriate type, such, for instance, as a push button which when released will automatically assume an open position.

I claim.

1. A meat-slitting machine comprising a set of rotary knives, a meat-supporting table, a prime mover, reversible driving connections between the prime mover and the table by which the latter is moved forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, said driving connections including a part which is reversible as to its directionv of movement, knife-rotating mechanism actuated by the reversible part of said driving connections, and means operated by the movement of the table as it reaches the end of its stroke in either direction.

to reverse the reversible part of the driving connections and thereby to reverse the direction of movement of the table.

2. A meat-slitting machine comprising a set of rotary knives, a, meat-supporting table, a prime mover, reversible driving connections between the prime mover and the table by which said table is moved forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, said driving connections including a rotary part which is reversible as to its direction of rotation, knife-rotating mechanism actuated by the reversible part of said driving connections, and means operated by the movement of the table as it reaches the end of its stroke in either direction to reverse the direction of rotation of said reversible part of said driving connections and thereby reverse both the direction of movement of the table and the direction of rotation of the knives.

3. A meat-slitting machine comprising a set of rotary knives, a meat-supporting table movable forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, a prime mover, reversible driving connections between the prime mover and the table by which the table is given its to-and-fro movement, kniferotating means actuated by said driving connections, means operated by the movement of the table in each direction to reverse the driving connections and thereby reverse both the direction of movement of the table and the direction of rotation of the knives.

4. A meat-slitting machine comprising a set of rotary knives, a meat-supporting table movable forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, a prime mover, driving connections between the prime mover and the table, said driving connections including reversing mechanism, knife-rotating means actuated by said driving connections, means operated by the movement of the table in each direction to actuate the reversing mechanism, and means also actuated by movement of the table during its backward movement but before the reversing mechanism is actuated to render the prime mover inoperative.

5. A meat-slitting machine comprising a set of rotary knives, a meat-supporting table movable forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, an electric motor, driving connections, including reversing mechanism, between the motor and the table by which the latter is moved forwardly and backwardly, means operated by movement of the table to actuate the reversing mechanism as the table reaches the end of its stroke in either direction, and means for automatically opening the motor circuit during, but before the completion of, the backward movement of the table.

6. A meat-slitting machine comprising a set of rotary knives, a meat-supporting table movable forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, an electric motor, driving connections, including reversing mechanism, between the motor and the table by which the latter is moved forwardly and backwardly, means operated by movement of the table to actuate the reversing mechanism as the table reaches the end of its stroke in either direction, means for automatically opening the motor circuit during, but before the completion of, the backward movement of the table, and manually-operative means for closing said circuit.

7. A meat-slitting machine comprising a set of rotary knives, a meat-supporting table, a prime mover, reversible driving connections between the prime mover and the table by which the latter is moved forwardly and backwardly beneath the knives, knife-rotating mechanism actuated by said driving connections, means operated by the movement of the table in each direction to actuate the reversible driving connections thereby to reverse the direction of movement of the table, and means also actuated by movement of the table to rotate the latter between its pass beneath the knives during its forward movement and that during its backward movement.

8. A meat-slitting machine comprising a frame having a horizontal guiding portion formed with spaced upper and lower parts, said lower part having a guideway and said upper part having a slot above the guideway, a slide mounted in said guideway for to-and-fro movement, a post rigid with the slide and rising therefrom and projecting into said slot, a meat-supporting turntable mounted on said post for turning movement thereabout, a set of rotary slitting knives journalled in the frame above the turntable, means acting on the slide for moving the latter back and forth in the guideway, means for rotating the knives and for reversing the direction of rotation thereof as the slide reverses its direction of movement, a ratchet wheel fast to the turntable and situated between the upper and lower parts of the horizontal portion of the frame, and means carried by said horizontal portion cooperatingwith the ratchet wheel to give the turntable a turning movement during each movement of the slide in one direction only, said means being inoperative to give the turntable a turning movement during the movement of the slide in the opposite direction.

JOSEPH P. SPANG. 

